


till death do us part (you hold my heart)

by iamalystark



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Clint Barton Cries, F/M, Flashbacks, Hurt/Comfort, I can’t tag anything else because it would spoil the story, Natasha Romanov cries, Rituals, Sad Clint Barton, Sad Natasha Romanov, Sad Tony Stark, Sad everyone basically, Tony Stark Cries, Weddings, Whump, everyone cries, im not that creative ok?, kidnappings, like a lot of them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-01-26 13:43:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 8,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21375073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamalystark/pseuds/iamalystark
Summary: For the ones who never got to say "I do."➵What was supposed to be a beautiful wedding turns into a desperate search for the missing bride when Alina Romanova is kidnapped the day she's set to marry Tony Stark.
Relationships: Natasha Romanov & Original Female Character(s), Tony Stark/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 21





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> ahdhfjjd im so excited for this story! I’ve been working on it forever and I can’t wait to see your guys’ reactions! also I know the prologue is really short but the rest of the chapters are longer I promise!
> 
> except for chapter one, that’s super short. But after that tho!
> 
> Uh and chapter two (I’m sorry please forgive me-)

  
**"I DON'T KNOW**, Tasha. What if he doesn't-?" Alina started.

"I swear to God, Lina, if you're about to ask if Tony has cold feet, I'm going to hit you." Her sister interrupted with a raised brow.

Alina smiled weakly. "Gosh, I know, I know. I just can't believe the day is finally here." She whispered, eyes flicking over her appearance in the mirror.

"I can't believe it either. My baby sister, all grown up." Natasha teased.

Alina hit her lightly. "It's by three years, Natasha." She whined.

"Three years is three years." Natasha chimed, a grin on her lips.

Her teasing tone faded, though, as she looked over her sister. "He's going to love you. Hell, he already does. I bet he'll cry when he sees how beautiful you are." She whispered soothingly.

Alina shrugged, tilting her head up and blinking rapidly as her eyes stung.

"If he doesn't, I'll find other ways to make him cry, сестра." Natasha murmured in her ear.

Alina let out a surprised bark of laughter, turning to the other woman. "Thank you." She choked out, throwing her arms around her neck.

Natasha returned the hug easily. "There's nothing to thank me for, Lina. You're my sister." The older woman responded.

"You have no idea what this means to me." Alina cried softly.

"Of course I do. You've been pining after Tony Stark for-"

"Tasha!"

"Sorry, sorry. But I do get it, Alina." Natasha said with a small smile.

Then she stepped back, straightening the wrinkles in her sister's dress.

"Don't start crying, you'll ruin your makeup." She warned.

Alina huffed. "Think Tony'd love me with mascara running down my cheeks?" She joked.

"Without a doubt."

The younger woman blushed, turning back to the mirror. There was silence for a few moments.

"Are you sure you don't want me to walk you down the aisle?" Natasha questioned softly.

Alina nodded firmly. "I can do this alone."

"But you don't _have _to." Natasha stressed.

"I know, but I want to. I need to."

"Alright, Lina." Her sister sighed out.

Suddenly, quiet music was drifting through the air. "That's my cue. See you out there, сестра."

The door opened and closed and Alina could only assume her sister had left the room. She secured a smile on her face, giddy excitement filling her every pore.

She was getting married. To Tony Stark, no less. Letting out a pleasant sigh, she let her eyes drift over her outfit one last time.

Natasha and Pepper had helped her pick it out and she absolutely loved it.

It was short, white and backless. It was simple and it was her. Suddenly, she heard the door click open again.

"I know my cue, Natasha." Alina spoke, rolling her eyes as she turned, only to see someone that was _definitely_ not her sister.

She yelped, stumbling backward, away from the tall, muscly, masked man that was advancing toward her.

"C'mon, it's my wedding day." Alina complained, grabbing the closest item (a stapler) and bashing it against the person's head.

They barely reacted, grabbing her wrist and yanking the stapler away, tossing it across the room.

"Uh oh." The redhead whispered, her face paling.

The man pulled out a pistol, quick as lightning, and bashed the end against her temple, knocking her to the ground.

Alina collapsed with a cry of pain, trying to reach fruitlessly for the stapler.

The man grabbed her ankle, yanking her back as she shrieked. Once again, he slammed the gun against her head.

This time, it made her vision double and tears sting her eyes. Something warm and sticky was suddenly in her hair and she blinked in confusion.

Her limbs were suddenly failing her, and she couldn't even lift her arms.

Alina whimpered in fear, before the man hit her in the head one last time, knocking her out cold.


	2. one

  
**TONY SWALLOWED, HIS** throat dry from his nerves. He couldn't believe that he was finally marrying the love of his life, the most beautiful woman on Earth.

He discreetly wiped his sweaty hands on his dress pants, eyes on the double doors.

Everyone else had come through, which met Alina was next. A few moments passed where nothing happened, and he noticed Natasha narrow her eyes in confusion.

Tony glanced at his team, scattered between his side and Alina's. They all seemed confused too. Where was she?

Suddenly, dark thoughts filtered into Tony's head. Maybe she got cold feet. Maybe she left.

He took a shaky breath and pretended not to notice Natasha slipping back out the doors.

Maybe she just didn't know her cue? It was hopeful at best. A few moments later, the doors burst open again.

"She's gone." Natasha announced, her face pale.

Tony's heart broke. "There's blood." The redhead added.

And Tony's resolve hardened. Someone took his fiancée? They'd pay. He stepped down from the platform, his teammates standing up, and strode from the room.

Natasha led them toward the room Alina had been in. Tony pushed the door open, stepping in.

There was a stapler on the ground and a crack in the plaster where he assumed it'd been thrown.

And lying on the ground, was a few drops of blood. Alina's blood. Tony let out a shuddering gasp, crouching down.

The pads of his fingers brushed against the blood, still warm and wet.

His teammates were murmuring quietly to each other, but he payed them no mind.

Standing again, he dashed from the room and toward the exit of the building.

Pushing open the doors, he looked around frantically for any sign of her.

Tony felt his chest tightening and his breaths coming out in short, quick pants.

"Tony! Tony, calm down. We'll find her." Steve was at his side now, a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh my god." The billionaire breathed, running his hands through his hair.

She was gone. Alina was gone.


	3. two

  
**ALINA**** WOKE WITH** a groan, her head pounding. Slowly, she peeled her eyes open, wearily looking around.

"Hello?" Her voice cracked and she coughed harshly, her throat dry.

"Hello? Is anybody there?" She croaked. Nobody answered, obviously, and she groaned.

Alina sat up slowly with a soft groan. She brought her hand up to her wound, flakes of blood falling from her head.

Taking a deep breath, she dropped her hand to her side and looked around.

The room she was in was far from small. In fact, it was _huge_. The place looked like some sort of. . . temple?

With another soft groan, Alina stood from her spot on the ground.

The ground itself seemed to be made out of dirt, while the walls and ceiling were made of some sort of tan stone.

Alina's head pounded with her every heartbeat and she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, swaying where she stood.

When she opened them again, she was tired. So tired. "Where am I?" She murmured.

With one final look around the large room, her eyes fell closed and she collapsed once again, falling into a dream. Or rather, a memory

➵

_"Tony, what is this?" Alina asked softly, her gaze drifting over the sand. _

_He'd taken her to the beach of all places, and was leading her toward the water. _

_"You'll see. It's a surprise." Tony responded, grabbing her hand. _

_Alina felt herself fill with giddy excitement. Everytime Tony had a surprise, it was either really good, or really bad. _

_Finally, they made it to the shore, where small waves were gently washing over their bare feet. _

_Tony smiled down at her. Then he reached into his pocket and dropped down onto the sand. _

_Alina's eyes widened as he adjusted himself onto one knee, pulling out a cream colored velvet box. _

_Slowly, she brought her hands up to her mouth, tears stinging her eyes. _

_"Lina, baby, I'm never been good with words or emotional crap, and I've never been sure of myself. But, the one thing I was always sure of, is you._

_"Honey, you're it for me. It's you, because no one else makes sense. Will you marry me?"_

_By now, tears were dripping down her face. Slowly, she dropped her hands from her mouth. _

_"Do you have any idea how_ cheesy_-__" She cried, a sob interrupting her. _

_Tony was still staring at her earnestly, the box open with a small red and gold engagement ring shining up at her._

_"Yes, Tony. God yes." Alina whispered. _

_With shaky hands, Tony slipped the ring on her finger. Then he stood, pulling Alina into a desperate kiss. _

_"God, I love you." She murmured once he pulled away. _

_"Looks like you'll have forever to prove it." He smirked. _

_She hit his shoulder playfully, a large smile on her face. "Alina Stark. I like the sound of that." She said softly. _

_He brushed her reddish brown waves from her face. "I do too." They kissed again._


	4. three

  
**"I JUST DON'T **understand. How could she have been taken from a building full of Avengers?" Clint asked weakly.

"None of us were with her." Natasha responded blankly.

She was tense and stressed and they could all see it.

"Well someone should have been." Tony growled.

"We were attending your wedding, Tony!" Clint yelled.

"Yeah, and now she's gone because of it!" Tony yelled right back.

"So you're mad at us for attending the wedding that you _and _Alina invited us to? The one we helped set up?" Clint snarled.

"No! I'm mad because she was alone and we let her get taken! Now she could be hurt or- or-" Tony choked, turning his back on his teammates.

It had been approximately eight hours since she went missing. Eight hours with absolutely no idea where she went.

With their nerves, nobody had bothered to change out of their outfits from the wedding.

Tony, Rhodey, Bruce, Clint and Steve were still wearing their suits, and Natasha and Pepper still wore their matching bridesmaids dresses.

"What do we do?" Bruce questioned softly.

"We find our girl. Whoever took Alina is going to pay." Steve said firmly, with his brow furrowed and arms crossed over his chest.

Tony took a shuddering breath. "I'm going to hack my way into everything, and I mean _everything._ There is nowhere on this Earth that someone can keep her from me." He announced, then turned sharply on his heel and strode toward the elevator.

"Anyone tries to remove me from my lab and I'll have JARVIS blast you to hell." He warned, stepping into the elevator.

For once, none of them were going to stop him.

As Tony made his way to the lab, his eyes caught on a picture on the wall, it was of the whole team (and Alina), the day after he'd proposed.

With a sigh, he recalled that day.

➵

_Alina skipped from the elevator with a bounce in her step and her left hand behind her back. _

_"Lina, baby, wait." Tony whined after her, trying and failing to hide his grin. _

_"What's got Little Red all excited?" Clint questioned lazily from his spot on the sofa. _

_"Can I tell them, can I tell th_ _em_ _, can I tell th_ _em-_ _?" Alina asked excitedly. _

_"Yes, Alina. You can tell them. I never said you couldn't." Tony answered, smiling at his _ _fiancée_ _. _

_"Tell us what, _сестра?" _Natasha inquired, emerging from the hall with grace only Alina knew where she got it. _

_Alina spared one last glance at Tony before excitedly holding up her left hand, red and gold ring shining brightly. _

_"Oh my gosh!" Clint cried, eyes widening as he leapt off the couch. _

_"What's, oh my gosh?" Bruce murmured lazily, eyes still not having left his tablet. _

_"Look up, Banner." Natasha called with a raised brow. _

_Alina was still bouncing in giddiness. Bruce glanced up and his eyes promptly popped wide open. _

_"Congratulations!" He cried, a smile on his face, before his eyes drifted back to the tablet. _

_"Natasha! Look how pretty it is!" Alina squeaked. _

_"I've seen it, __Алин_а." _Natasha told her, but grabbed her hand nonetheless, examining the piece of jewelry. _

_"How?" Alina gasped, before spinning back toward Tony. _

_"You!" She pointed at him, an accusatory edge to her voice._

_"I had to ask Nat for permission, Baby, she would've killed me otherwise." The billionaire said with a shrug and a smile, slipping his hands into his pockets. _

_"What's with all the _ _yelli_ _-_ _ oh! Congratulations!" A new voice appeared from the hall. _

_"Steve!" Alina cried, bounding over like a puppy. _

_"Look!" The supersoldier grinned as she shoved her hand in his face. _

_"It's very beautiful, Alina." He said politely. _

_"Lina, Honey, you're like a puppy." Tony said, walking up to her._

_She gasped in mock offence. "Tony Stark! Are you calling me a _dog_?" _

_"That's not what I meant and you know it-" Alina laughed, standing on the tips of her toes to kiss him. _

_"So, where's the wedding and who's the best man?" Clint called. _

_Alina giggled as she pressed into Tony's side, looking up to him with an adoring glint in her eyes. _

_"On the moon." She told the Archer firmly. _

_"And the best man? Rhodey, definitely." _

_Even with laughing and yelling in the background, the newly engaged couple only had eyes for each other. _

_JARVIS took it upon himself to snap a picture of the team, and if Tony hung it up later, then that was nobody's business but theirs._


	5. four

  
**THE WHOLE WAKING **up with a pounding headache thing was getting old. Alina winced, groaning softly.

Slowly, she blinked her eyes open again, her gaze raking over the familiar, strange temple-like place.

It was no different than the last time she was conscious, yet she felt. . . colder.

Alina wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly wishing she'd worn a long sleeved wedding dress.

With a small grunt of pain, she stood. Her head still hurt, but this time she didn't feel like she was going to pass out at any moment.

With nothing else to do, she wandered over to the closest wall and ran her small hands over the stone.

That's when she noticed that her engagement ring was still on her finger. She smiled at the familiar colors.

She remembered thinking how it was so incredibly cheesy that Tony based the colors off of his suit, but she'd grown to think of it as having a part of him with her, always.

Thinking of Tony made her heart ache as she walked along the walls, brushing her fingers across the stone, searching for a door or compartment.

Tony must've been so worried. What if he thought she had left on her own accord? Alina's brows furrowed in concern as she walked.

No, no, there had been blood, right? They would know she'd been taken. A small smile found its way to her face. Tony was looking.

Her family was looking for her. Soon, she'd be in his arms again and they'd have a redo wedding.

Soon, the worst of her worries would be who got to choose the movie on movie night (Clint always chose _horribly_), not being in a strange ritual-looking building.

Alina yelped as she almost tripped over something, nearly falling over.

She frowned as she bent down to examine the weird metal lid looking thing. Cautiously, she picked it up.

Her face flooded with realization. It was food. It didn't take her long to figure out just exactly _what_ the food was.

Corn dogs. Her evil captors that had dropped her in the creepiest, most ominous place ever, were feeding her corn dogs.

Alina slid to the ground, laughs shaking her body. She just couldn't get over the prospect of _corn dogs_.

God, the life she had. Sometimes she wondered how mundane it would be if she'd never met Tony. Probably very boring.

Her laughs finally slowed as she thought of the day she met Tony Stark.

Alina decided that if her captor or captors really wanted to kill her, it wouldn't be from corn dogs.

So she picked one up and began munching on it as she recalled one of the best days of her life.

➵

_"Why would the Avengers want to meet me, Tasha?" Alina whined in exasperation, shifting in the passenger seat._

_"Because you're my sister, Lina." The older woman said for the thousandth time. _

_"But, why?"_

_"Why are you my sister? Well, I think it has something to do with our parents having _ _se_ _-_ _"_

_"Natalia!" The younger redhead hissed, scandalized. _

_Natasha barked out a laugh. "Never change, Lina." She murmured. _

_"Not sure how I could. You know, we can't change what we are. After all, we've been the same since our parents-" _

_"Oh, who's the insufferable one now?" Natasha interrupted with a laugh. _

_"Seriously, Tasha, why would they want to meet me? I'm just ordinary." She said, genuinely confused. _

_"Okay, first off; you are _not_ ordinary. You're Alina Romanova. And second off; you're my family. They're my other family." The spy said sincerely. _

_"You're making me _ _blush-_ _"_

_"Good. They'll love you, Lina." Her sister responded flatly. _

_Alina sighed in defeat as Natasha parked the car in the garage of Avengers Tower. _

_"Who's car is this, anyway?" The younger woman questioned as they climbed out and walked toward the elevator. _

_"Tony's." Natasha said casually, as if she wasn't talking about _the _Tony Stark. _

_"Seriously? Oh my gosh." She whispered, eyes wide. _

_Natasha smirked knowingly. "Good evening, Agent Romanova. Hello, Miss Romanova." A British voice spoke. _

_Alina yelped, looking around in confusion. "That's_ _JARVIS. He's Tony's AI." Natasha explained, a small grin on her face. _

_"Oh hush." Alina whined as Natasha snickered. _

_The elevator opened and Natasha stopped laughing abruptly, wiping the smile off her face. _

_Alina smiled sadly at her sister's antics. Despite seeing the Avengers as family, she didn't let her guard down in front of anyone but Alina, and maybe Clint. _

_Clint was the only other Avenger she'd met, quickly coming to think of him as an older brother (she was even Auntie Ali to his kids)._

_"Little Red!" The archer cried as he spotted the pair. _

_"Hey, Barton." Alina greeted timidly with a small wave. _

_"Little Red? _ _Who-_ _?" Tony Stark himself spoke, sticking his head out from the kitchen. _

_"Oh! Scary Lady's sister!" The billionaire cried. _

_Alina shot a look at her sister, who struggled to hide a grin. _

_"I'm Alina." She introduced. _

_"It's nice to meet you, Miss Romanoff." Captain Fucking America said politely. _

_"Romanova." She corrected. _

_"What?" Steve asked, confused. _

_"Tasha goes by the American version, but I don't. It's actually Romanova." Alina clarified._

_"I know." Tony said casually. _

_Alina's head whipped toward him and she found herself immediately eying the billionaire like a piece of meat. _

_The man caught her stare, smirking. Alina looked away, embarrassed. _

_"You can ogle Tony later, Lina. JARVIS, call the team to the communal living room." Natasha called. _

_Alina giggled, blushing, and Tony barked out a laugh. A few moments later, Bruce and Thor walked in. _

_"Lady Natasha! Who is this?" The god bellowed happily. _

_"I'm Alina Romanova." She greeted, sticking her hand out. _

_Thor wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug and lifted her off the ground, causing her to yelp._

_"It is nice to meet you, Lady Alina!" _

_"You too." She rasped, crushed under his godly arms. _

_"Let Little Red down, Thor." Clint called, sounding amused. _

_She shot a faux glare at him as she turned to Bruce_ _. "Hi Doctor Banner! Tasha talks about you lots!" She cried, hugging him. _

_The curly haired man blushed in surprise and Natasha smacked her sister. _

_Despite having all of the Avengers in one room, Alina's eyes always drifted to one person; Tony._


	6. five

**BACK WHEN TONY **was younger, when he lost his parents, he thought he knew pain. He thought pain was the absence of his loving mother and his (as much as he didn't want to admit it) caring father. 

He thought pain was seeing his parents' bodies in those oak coffins. But he was wrong. No, pain was _her_.

Pain was not knowing where his fiancée was. Pain was knowing that the love of his life had been taken right out from under his nose, hurt and possibly. . . He couldn't even _think_ it.

Tony remembered how he used to think he'd never find someone to settle down with, never find someone he'd love more than life itself. He never expected to meet Alina Romanova either. 

The snarky, sarcastic, sweet, kind woman owned his entire cold, dead heart. The second his eyes landed on her emerald green ones, his entire world had changed. 

No matter who else was in the room, his gaze always drifted to her. She was his light in the dark, his star in the night sky. 

So that's why every second without her, he blamed himself. 

"God dammit!"

"Sir." JARVIS cautioned. 

"What, J?" Tony growled. 

"Working yourself into exhaustion is doing no favors for Ma'am." The AI said flatly. 

"You don't get to tell me what is good for Lina. I _made _you." He snapped, eyes raking over the many screens he had pulled up. 

"Yes, Sir, you did. You also programmed me to look after yours and Ma'am's health." JARVIS said, almost exasperatedly. 

"Yeah, well a lot of good that did." He snarked, dark circles under his eyes prominent as he caught sight of his reflection in the metal table he was leaning against. 

"Please rest, Sir, or I will be forced to contact Miss Potts." JARVIS pleaded. 

"What's Pep gonna do?" Tony growled, even as he stood, sighing and stretching his limbs with a groan. 

"Miss Potts has the clearance to lock you out of your lab to rest." JARVIS reminded. 

"Remind me to revoke that later." Tony mumbled absentmindedly, trudging from the room and toward the elevator. 

"Noted, Sir." The AI responded snarkily. 

It had been over a week since his love had been kidnapped, and so far there were no leads. There wasn't a ransom or a threat. Just nothing. It seemed like whoever had taken her did it just for fun. 

They could've gotten millions of dollars or basically anything they wanted from Tony, all for her. He'd give up every single penny he owned for her. 

He'd give up the sun and the stars to see her just one more time. Exiting the elevator, Tony strode toward the couch and collapsed onto it, throwing his arm over his eyes. 

"Where is everyone, J?" He asked, having noticed that not one of his teammates were in the common room. 

"Agent Romanova has gone dark, in search of Ma'am, along with Agent Barton. Thor has returned to Asgard to seek help for the search, Doctor Banner is passed out in his lab, and Captain Rogers and Colonel Rhodes are scouting potential hideouts." The AI informed his creator. 

Tony heaved a sigh, feeling useless. "Are we ever going to find her, J?" He murmured. 

"I do not know, Sir." JARVIS said mechanically. 

Tony felt tears sting his eyes, aching to hold Alina. 

"I hope so." JARVIS added quietly. 

"Me too, bud. Me too." The billionaire agreed, sighing once again. 

As he drifted off, he thought of the very first time he'd told her he loved her.

➵

_Tony woke with a groan, shifting, a miniscule movement, as his eyes slowly blinked open. "No." He grumbled, angry that he was awake. _

_"Good afternoon, Sir. Ma'am is summoning you in the kitchen." _ _JARVIS_ _ announced, sounding way too happy for the morning. _

_"Tell Ma'am," he mocked, "to let me sleep for a few more hours."_

_"Ma'am says that she will not." _ _JARVIS_ _ responded a moment later._

_"Ugh." Tony grumbled, throwing the blankets off. _

_Glancing down at his rumpled sweats and T-shirt , he decided that that was good enough, and trudged from their room. _

_His eyes widened slightly at an amazing smell, and let his nose lead him to the savory scent. _

_"_ _Mmm_ _, bacon." He sighed happily, dropping into a stool in front of the island. _

_"Yes, Tones, bacon." Alina hummed, smiling back at him, red curls falling over her shoulders. _

_"This is why I love you." He groaned out as she placed a plate in front of him. _

_They both froze, and Alina's mouth dropped open. _

_"_ _Li_ _. . ." He whispered, not sure what else to say. _

_"You love me?" She whispered hopefully. _

_"I," He cleared his throat, "yeah. I do. Love you, that is." Tony confirmed. _

_Alina grinned. "I love you too, Tony." _

_The redhead leaned across the island as if she was going to kiss him, and he leaned in happily, only for her to move at the last second, swiping up a piece of his bacon and jumping backward. _

_"Hey! You thief!" Tony cried, indignant. _

_"I made it." She sung, eyes glittering with excitement and. . . love. _

_The next time she leaned forward, she actually kissed him, and Tony kissed back, not a care in the world. That was, until Alina pulled away, slapping him on the arm. _

_"Ouch! What was that for?" _

_"You told me you loved me, over _bacon_? I've been trying to figure out how to tell you for months, and here you are just casually saying it over _bacon_!" She cried. _

_Tony smirked. "To be fair, it's _really_ good __baco__-"_

_She slapped him again._


	7. six

**"YOU KNOW, AS **amazing as corn dogs are, I'm growing a little tired of them!" Alina called loudly, leaning against the stone wall. 

She'd been at the strange temple-like place for over a week and had yet to see anybody. Every time she woke up, there was a new platter of corn dogs. Sometimes, she even got water. 

Alina was relieved to have found that there was a small not so temple-like bathroom hidden behind a false wall. It had taken her almost a day to discover it, and boy was she glad. 

Like her previous declaration stated, she _did _like corn dogs, but she never wanted to eat them again. Having them every day as your only meal got kind of tiring. 

Alina sighed as she ran her shaking hands over the front of her dress. It was wrinkled and dirty from the ground where she slept, and it was almost too big on her now. 

When they had the redo wedding, Alina was definitely going to be wearing the warmest, fluffiest dress ever. She was always freezing in this place. 

Her left hand froze as she glanced down at it, and tears stung her eyes for the billionth time. The engagement ring, still shining brightly (courtesy of her spit), was a painful reminder of her fiancé. 

_God_, she missed Tony. And she missed showers. Also, hair conditioner. What was once a beautiful, pinned up bob, had become a tangled mess as the bobby pins had fallen out and she hadn't seen a brush in days. 

Alina imagined her face was horrendous, with smeared and ruined makeup, and blood and dirt that had been building up. The blood was from the wound on her head that didn't quite hurt anymore unless she touched it. 

With a sigh, she shifted, wincing as her bare feet brushed against the cold ground. She'd abandoned her heels days ago, deciding that sore feet was not something she wanted to add to her long list of ailments. 

Alina sat up in alarm, though, when she suddenly heard a small noise. She _never_ heard noise in this place. Cautiously, she stood up, using the wall to support her weight.

She felt dizzy for a few seconds, before her vision straightened out and her eyes locked on the part of the wall where she heard the noise. Or rather, behind it.

Suddenly the wall opened up (ah, another false door), and in walked a tall figure wearing a large black cloak. 

"Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea how much of a cliché this is? Like actually." She complained, glaring at the figure. 

The person didn't respond, and another cloaked figure walked in behind them. "Uh, hello, creepy dudes?" Alina called, exasperated. 

One of them, the taller one, removed their hood. It was a tall brunet male with dull hazel eyes and a large grin. "Miss Romanova, it's a pleasure to meet you." He said. 

Alina blinked, "Excuse me, what?" 

"Me and my daughter here," he gestured to the other figure, who removed her hood to reveal a blonde girl with bright blue eyes, "have been wanting to meet you forever." 

Alina gaped. "You could have just camped outside the tower and stalked me like normal people. You didn't need to _kidnap_ me." She growled.

"Oh, don't worry Miss, you'll be leaving very, very soon." He said with a creepy smile. 

"That's ominous as shit. Who are you and why am I here?" She demanded, stepping toward them. 

Bad move. Her legs shook visibly. 

"My name doesn't matter. It's you who matters. You, Miss, you matter." He said, sounding almost in awe of her. 

"That sounds like a motivational quote. Now, tell me why you've taken me." She snarled, lunging forward at him. 

He simply shoved her out of the way gently and stepped back, causing her to tumble to the ground with a grunt. She stared up at him in confusion. How did he even shove her gently?

The girl looked at her nervously, then looked away, and Alina realized what she needed to do. With a huff, she shakily stood again. "We'll be seeing you, Miss." The man said, and turned to walk out. 

Before the girl could follow him, Alina lurched forward grabbing hold of her and yanking her backward. The girl yelped, bringing her hands up to curl around Alina's arm, which was wrapped firmly around her neck, the other around her waist. 

"Who are you?" The redhead hissed. The man spun around, eyes wide in shock. 

"I-I can't tell you." The teen whispered, trembling in Alina's arms. 

"Let her go, Miss." The man warned. 

"Mm, no, I don't think I will. Talk." She snapped, eyes wide and a bit crazed. 

The man narrowed his eyes at her, but still didn't seem angry or afraid for his child. Without a word, he spun on his heels and left the room, the false wall closing behind him. 

Alina huffed in disbelief, shoving the girl away from her. "Help me, please." She begged. 

The girl blinked. "I'm not suppose to talk to you. I can't help you." She said quietly. Alina sighed. 

"What's your name, kid?" She questioned softly. 

"I-I, uh, um." The girl smiled shyly, clearly not allowed to tell her that either. 

"I won't snitch to your Dad." She promised. 

"My name is Emily." The girl finally answered, glancing around anxiously. 

"Emily, look at me." Alina commanded. 

The blonde's eyes shot to her. 

"Emily, listen to me. Whatever creepy-ass shit your dad's into, kidnapping people or whatever, you've got to know it isn't right, right?" Alina questioned, face contorted in emotion. 

Emily squeaked, looking away. "_Please _help me, kid. I just want to go home to my family." She whispered, her voice breaking. 

Emily avoided her gaze, looking conflicted. Just then, the false wall opened up again, revealing the man from before, holding a long silver sword. 

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"I'm going to need you to let go of my daughter, Miss Romanova." He said, sounding a teensy bit angry. 

Alina looked down to where (to her surprise) her hand was locked around Emily's wrist. She let go, stepping back. 

"Please." She added one more time. 

Emily looked away, and followed her father from the room, the door closing behind them. 

Alina slid back down to the ground, dry sobbing. She just wanted to go home.


	8. seven

**SOMETIMES, TONY WONDERED** what his life would be like if he hadn't ran after Alina. When he first met her, he didn't expect to fall head over heels for her. 

He didn't expect to constantly crave her attention, to want to hold her and be with her every second he was awake and then some.

As Tony stared up at the ceiling, electing to ignore his teammates talking quietly around him, he thought back to the very first time he got to hold her and kiss her and tell her how much she meant to him. 

Alina was his everything, and right now, his heart felt as though someone had ripped it out and stomped it to pieces. Closing his eyes, he let out a shuddering breath, and remembered.

➵

_"Sir." _ _JARVIS_ _ called, interrupting. . . something. Tony had no idea what he was doing anymore. Slowly, he sat up, removing his head from where it head been resting in his hand tiredly. _

_"Yeah, J?" The billionaire called back. _

_"Miss _ _Romanova_ _ is in distress." The AI informed him. Tony sat up, suddenly completely aware. _

_"Alina? Where is she?" He demanded, standing up and striding for the elevator. _

_"The common room, Sir." _ _JARVIS_ _ supplied. _

_Tony nodded and the elevator took him up there without command. Cautiously, he stepped into the dark room, eyes landing on a small form curled on the sofa. _

_"Alina?" He called softly. _

_The redhead stiffened, and he watched her sit up, wiping her eyes. "Oh-uh, hey Tony." Alina murmured. _

_He walked over to her. "Is. . . Uh. . . Are you okay?" Tony asked awkwardly. _

"'_M fine." She mumbled, and Tony knew she was lying. _

_"Lights on, J." He called, dropping down beside her._

_The lights flicked on soundlessly and Alina recoiled, looking away. But not fast enough, because Tony caught sight of the tears shining on her face. _

_"What's wrong?" He asked, concern. _

_"Nothing." She stressed, and Tony saw her hands shaking in her lap. _

_He reached for her hand, but she pulled away as if burned. Tony quelled the pang of hurt that sent to his chest. _

_"You can always talk to me, you know." He said softly. Then he wondered why the hell he was being so emotional. He had never really talked about feelings, not wanting to expose himself, not wanting to seem weak. _

_"I _can't_. Not you." Alina hissed. Tony blinked. _

_"O-oh. Okay. Uh, you could talk to Natasha, then, I guess." He mumbled, going to stand up. She clearly didn't want his company. _

_Alina looked up with wide, alarmed eyes. "Wait!" She exclaimed. Tony was beginning to wonder if she was bipolar or something. _

_"It's not that I don't like you, I do, it's just. . ." She trailed off, her cheeks burning. "I _like _you." She whispered. _

_Tony's eyes widened in realization and his mouth dropped open. Just as he went to reply, the redhead jumped up, her lips trembling. "Oh god, I'm so sorry. Forget I said that." And with that, she dashed off. _

_Tony stood there gaping. "She likes me?" He whispered, then groaned, "Oh hell, I feel like a gossiping schoolgirl." _

_"Sir, if I may, Miss _ _Romanova_ _ is exiting the building and still seems very distressed." _ _JARVIS_ _ warned. _

_"Oh shit, why am I just standing here?" He grumbled, bolting for the elevator. _

_The ride down only took a few seconds but he groaned impatiently. "Come _on_." _

_Finally, it opened and he sprinted outside, only to be immediately soaked to the bone by the pouring rain. "Little warning would've been nice." He grumbled to nobody, looking around for Alina. _

_He spotted her, her arms wrapped around herself as she crossed the street. "This is so _ _cliché_ _." Tony mumbled, jogging after her, not caring in the slightest as his very expensive suit was ruined. _

_"Alina! Alina, wait!" He called. _

_She whipped around, mouth falling open at the sight of him. _

_"Why did you race out of the tower on a dark and stormy night?" He paused to giggle at the saying._

_"I, uh. . ." She trailed off uselessly, brushing her soaking wet curls behind her ears as her hair became plastered to her face. _

_"Why don't you come inside so we can talk?" Tony suggested, hooking a thumb behind him toward the tower. Alina shook her head stubbornly. _

_He sighed. "Look, Lina," She seemed slightly startled by the nickname, "I, uh, I do too." _

_Alina frowned. "You what?" _

_"I like you too, okay?" He clarified. _

_Alina blinked in shock, her arms falling to her sides. "You- you do?" She looked to the ground, then back to him, "I thought- I thought you were with Pepper."_

_Tony heard that and burst out laughing, clutching his sides as his stomach began to hurt. "You thought-? Oh my god! Pep's like a sister to me!" He cried, smiling. _

_Alina's lips quirked upward into a smile. "Oh." She whispered softly. _

_"So you were crying because you thought I didn't like you back? Is that it?" He asked. _

_Her cheeks burned. "Well now that you say it out loud, it seems stupid." She grumbled._

_Contemplating for only a second, Tony stepped forward and pulled her into his arms, pressing his lips to hers. Alina froze for a second, before she kissed him back, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck. _

_After seemingly hours, when in reality it was only a few minutes, they finally pulled apart, gasping for breath. Alina stared up at him, adoration swimming in her eyes. _

_He was suddenly reminded of where they were standing when Alina visibly trembled in his arms. "Oh shit, it's cold and pouring. Let's go inside before we catch hypothermia."_

_They both laughed and walked back toward the tower, Tony's hand not leaving hers._

➵

"-ony? Tony, are you listening?" 

The billionaire's gaze shot to Clint, who was frowning down at him. He sat up slowly, looking around to find the entire team looking at him and frowning. "What?" He groaned. 

"There's some kid in the lobby, keeps demanding to talk to us. Says she's got some information about Little Red." Clint explained. 

"Who is she?" Tony demanded, suddenly hyper-aware. 

"Uh, The girl said her name's Emily Abbington." Bruce answered, brows furrowed as he stared down at a screen, presumedly displaying whatever was going on in the lobby. 

"Well? Why are you looking at me? Send her up!"


	9. eight

**ALINA JUMPED, STARTLED** as the false door began to open unexpectedly. 

"Oh, hey, Mr. Cloak Guy." She greeted, nodding to him from her spot on the ground. 

The guy strode in, eyes hard and face contorted in anger. 

"Uh oh." She murmured softly, hoisting herself up warily and inching backwards as he approached.

"What did you do?" He demanded, poking a finger at her chest. 

"Okay, don't touch me, Evil Kidnapper Guy, and what do you mean?" She responded, batting his hand away with a frown. 

"Emily! She's gone! What did you do?" He cried. 

Alina's confusion faded, her face forming into one of happiness and relief. "Oh, well what could I have done? I'm locked up in your crazy temple, remember?" She said smugly. 

He suddenly slammed her backward into the wall, all traces of cheerfulness gone. "Where. Is. She." He growled. 

"How am I supposed to know? Like I said before, I'm trapped in here!" Alina cried. 

"You talked to her! You made her do something! What is it?" He hissed. 

"No idea what you're talking about." She lied, grinning widely. 

"You know, you only have to be alive for the ritual. I didn't _want_ to hurt you, but you're making it very hard not to." He growled. 

Alina's smile dropped. "Ritual? What ritual?" 

The man smirked, pulling away, and Alina could feel bruises forming on her back where she'd been slammed against the wall. 

"Why did you take me? What is this all about?" She demanded, taking a shaky step toward him. 

"You'll find out soon enough." He barked. 

"Who even _are _you?" She exclaimed.

"My name is Edward Abbington, Miss Romanova, but it isn't of any importance." He said shortly, stepping backward. 

Alina glanced at the still open doorway and decided she had nothing to lose, so she dashed for the exit. Her wobbly legs barely took her a few feet before Edward's hand was in her hair, yanking her backward.

She cried out, gripping his arm and clawing at his hand, desperate for him to release her. Edward threw her to the ground and she landed with a grunt, curling into a ball.

"You're testing my patience, Miss." He snapped. Then he strode from the room. Alina lifted her head just in time to see two other hooded figures pulling the door closed. 

She dropped her head back to the ground with a groan. Of _course_ he had accomplices. 

Alina slowly uncurled herself, tentatively reaching up to her head that was once again pulsing with pain. Edward had aggravated her wound, and there was now blood sluggishly rolling down her face again. 

She wiped it off her brow with a bitter frown, scowling as it just continued to drip. 

With a heavy sigh, Alina crawled back over to the wall and hugged her knees to her chest as she leaned against it. Slowly, her eyes fell closed and she thought of Tony. Hopefully she'd see him soon.

➵

_As Alina snuggled comfortably into Tony's side, a sudden thought struck her. "Tones?" She murmured. _

_"Mm?" Tony mumbled, looking over at her. _

_"Do you believe in heaven?" She asked. _

_It was movie night and the rest of the team was bickering and laughing, eyes on the screen. _

_"I. . ." Tony hesitated, frowning a bit. "Do you?" He deflected._

_Alina hummed. "I do, yeah. I don't know about Natalia," Tony chose not to comment on that, "but I've always believed in heaven. I always thought that everyone we'd lost, we would eventually see again. I like to think everyone's happy up there. Like Mama and Papa and all the people we lost way too soon." She explained softly, green eyes shining up to him. _

_"You remember your parents? Nat never mentions them." He commented. _

_Alina gave him a flat look. "You're avoiding an answer. Do you believe in Heaven?" She replied. _

_Tony smiled softly at her. "I don't know about Heaven and God and all that, but I think there's something out there. I hope that somewhere, my mom is happy. Probably playing piano and chewing Howard out." He said, smiling at the thought. _

_Alina giggled. "I wish I could have met her. She sounds like an amazing woman."_

_"She was. While Howard never really payed attention to me, she was always there. She taught me the piano and even a bit of Italian." He offered, clearly upbeat now that he was talking about his mother. _

_"Italian? You know Italian and you didn't tell me? Say something in Italian." Alina said excitedly. _

_"_ _Perchè, caro? Ti rende le ginocchia deboli?" He murmured in her ear. _

_Alina shivered, mouth dropping open as she looked up at him. "Oh my god." She whispered. _

_He snickered and she whapped his arm. "You know any foreign languages?" Tony asked, not expecting her to. _

_"_ _Конечно, Тони, кто ты думаешь, кто я?" Alina whispered seductively. _

_Tony's grin widened. "We make quite the pair, don't we?" He asked. _

_"Just kiss already." A voice groaned. _

_Alina turned and chucked a pillow at Clint's head._

➵

Alina woke with a yelp, the false door opening. About a dozen cloaked figures rushed in, all speaking in rushed, panicked tones as they shoved the door shut behind them. 

"Wha'?" She slurred, blinking the dark spots from her vision. 

"Quiet!" One hissed, pulling his hood back to reveal just some random dude. She didn't know why, but she'd expected all the hooded people to be evil-looking muscly, brooding dudes. 

The people all pulled their hoods off, talking quietly and looking. . . afraid. Why were they afraid?

"I didn't sign up for this shit!" One guy hissed. 

"None of us thought the Avengers would come after her!" A woman snapped. 

"Yes we did? She's the Black Widow's sister, dipshits." Another guy growled, rolling his eyes. 

"Well yeah, but Edward says she's also _her_!" Another woman cried. 

"Her? Who's her?" Alina questioned, frowning at them. 

Literally all of them glared over at her and didn't answer. "I- I believe in our cause but I've got kids to go home to. I can't risk that by being arrested by the _Avengers_." A man said anxiously. 

So her family was here, then? Alina smiled, giddy to see them. 

"How do we know it's even her, huh? How do we know Edward didn't just pick someone pretty and famous?" The first guy that spoke questioned, sounding almost hysterical. 

Just then, the false door thing opened again. Well, more like got blasted open by a very familiar repulsion blast. She stood, smiling widely. Just then, her family burst in, weapons in hand.


	10. nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao get some tissues
> 
> I'm honestly so excited to post this chapter

**ALINA STOOD BACK** as her friends rounded up the weird cult people, rocking back and forth on her bare feet. 

Finally, Tony stepped out of his suit, trusting his teammates to keep their weapons trained on the cloaked idiots. "Alina." He breathed, stepping toward her. 

A half laugh/half sob erupted from her throat and she took a step forward, only to watch as the others all screamed in horror, Tony crying out and reaching for her. That's when she felt it. 

The searing pain in her back and stomach, the absolute agony rippling through her. Slowly, her mouth dropped open and she looked down, seeing a long silver blade sticking out of her stomach. 

"Alina!" Tony roared. 

"I told you, you'd be leaving very, very soon." Edward whispered into her ear. Tears stung her eyes as she felt her knees go weak. 

Edward stepped back, yanking the sword out of its place in her stomach. It seemed there was another false door. Blood was suddenly coming up her throat, filling her mouth and dripping from her lips. 

_"No!_" Natasha shrieked, pulling out a pistol and firing once, twice, three times at the man's chest. He fell backwards with a thump, and Alina knew that her captor was dead. 

"Tony?" She breathed, falling to her knees. She was quickly losing blood, a large red stain growing on her dress. 

"No, no, no, Lina. Lina, baby, no." Tony cried, dashing to her side and sliding to his knees. 

Alina brought her hands to the wound, choking on a cough as she fell over. Tony caught her, slowly lowering her to the ground and cradling her in his arms. She blinked rapidly at him, gasping in pain as tears rolled down her cheeks. 

"Tony? T-Tony?" She whined. 

Tony took a shuddering breath. "I'm here. Hey, I'm here. It's going to be okay. You're going to be okay, Lina." The billionaire assured, hands shaking as he brushed her hair out of her face. 

"I-I'm sorry. I'm s-sorry." She sobbed, crying out in pain. Suddenly Natasha was there, kneeling at Tony's side. 

"Alina. Baby sister." The spy whispered, her voice wobbling. 

"Natalia. I knew you g-guys would find me. W-was waiting." She said, cringing as a twinge of pain overtook her. 

"Of course, Сестра младенца. I will always find you." Natasha assured, nodding shakily as she pressed a kiss to her sister's temple, sitting down slowly. 

"Oh, Alina, oh Sweetheart, c'mon baby, don't leave me." Tony begged, sobbing quietly. 

"I-I'm s-so-sorry. I d-don't wa-ant to g-go. Hurts." Alina whimpered.

"I know. I know it hurts. I know, I'm so sorry. Oh baby, I'm so sorry." Tony weeped. 

Alina coughed, crying out in pain. "M-make it stop, _please_, T-Tony make it sto-op." She pleaded. 

"I don't know how. I don't know how, please forgive me, oh my god." He bawled. 

"Y-you never got t-to see me w-walk down the-the a-aisle." Alina rasped, shakily bringing one of her bloody hands up. 

Tony clasped his fingers with hers. "You're right, I didn't. So you gotta hold on, alright? I still have to see you walk down the aisle." He whispered, devastation displayed on his face. 

"I w-want to be your wife." Alina murmured, tears still dripping from her eyes. 

"And I want to be your husband. C-come on, just hang in there, baby." He whispered, _begged, _placing a kiss on their intertwined hands.

"I s-still believe in heaven. I-I'm sorry, T-Tony. G-guess I'll s-see you th-there." Alina stuttered, smiling sadly. 

It didn't really hurt that bad anymore. Alina knew that was a bad thing. 

Tony barely even noticed the team surrounding them, all crestfallen and devastated. 

"C-come on, don't say that. We still have to have our wedding on the moon, remember? You didn't get to marry me yet." Tony cried. 

An anguished laugh escaped her as her eyes drooped. "W-would've been the b-best wedding e-ever." She joked, struggling to breathe properly. 

"Yeah," Tony croaked, tears rolling down his cheeks, "it would've." 

Alina licked her lips, blood smearing. "Kiss me?"

Tony nodded, trembling as he pressed a desperate, feverish kiss to her lips. He didn't care about the blood, just focusing on _her._

He pulled away as she began coughing again. 

"I l-love you, T-Tony. A-all of you." Alina rasped, gaze raking over her friends, her _family._

"We love you too, Little Red." Clint responded, smiling sadly as tears of his own streaked down his face.

"I love you. _God_ I love you. We're supposed to have forever, remember? This isn't forever. This is barely a beginning." Tony said, letting out a tortured sob. 

"I g-guess forever's b-been cut short, y-yeah?" She sighed. 

"No. _No_. It can't be. It can't be. Remember what I said? You're it for me. You're _mine. _ You can't just go." He cried. 

"S-sorry, Love." Alina murmured. Then, after sucking in one final shuddering breath, her chest stopped rising and her heart stopped beating. 

Tony let out an agonized wail. "No! No, Alina! Alina!" He wailed. Natasha began sobbing softly. 

"Please don't do this. Alina. A-Alina, please. N-no. Oh god no." He weeped. 

Tony leant down, resting his forehead against hers, and he cried. 


	11. ten

**"ALINA ONCE ASKED** me whether I believed in heaven." Tony announced, clearing his throat as more tears threatened to fall. 

He stood by her coffin, hands clenched so hard his knuckles were white. "I told her that I didn't. I told her I wasn't sure." 

His gaze slowly landed on his teammates who were all crying softly, except for Natasha who stared straight ahead, stone-faced. 

"But I think I do now. I have to hope that there's a heaven out there. And if there is, I know she's up there." He took a deep, steadying breath. 

"Alina Romanova was the most kindhearted woman I ever knew. She never failed to make me laugh and smile. She made the coldest of us open up with just a look or a few words.

"She was my light in the dark, my star in the night sky, and she kept me afloat when I felt like I was drowning." He dropped his gaze to the ground, vision blurring with more tears. 

"Alina held my heart. I know what you're all thinking, 'Tony Stark has a heart?' Yeah, I know. I didn't believe it myself sometimes. But she. . ." His voice wavered and he let out a soft sob.

"She turned me into mush. She broke down all the walls I built for myself. Sh-she was the best thing that ever happened to me. She was _everything._" Tony began to weep softly. 

"A thousand words couldn't bring you back, Alina. I know this because I tried. Neither could a thousand tears, I know because I cried for you. You left behind a broken man and amazing memories. But I never wanted memories, I only wanted you." Tony's breaths were shaky and unsteady. 

"I know it's over, but it never really began. I was prepared to live my life with her, I was never prepared to lose her before I even had the chance to love her." Squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, he finally finished, "I love you, Alina. I'm sorry." 

He stepped away from the coffin, Rhodey putting a supporting hand on his shoulder as they walked back to the others. "We'll miss you Alina. My dear, sweet sister." Natasha murmured, and she walked away. 

Clint followed her, and soon they were all walking away. Except for Rhodey and Tony, who just kept standing there. Rhodey held the umbrella over them, lips pursed. 

"We've got to go soon, Tones." His best friend muttered. 

Tony shook his head. "You go. I'll find my own way home."

Rhodey nodded once, knowing when his friend needed to be left alone. "Take care, Tony." He walked off.

The billionaire ignored him, sinking to his knees as the rain soaked him, his suit sticking to his skin. It had taken everything in him to wear the suit, the very one he'd worn on the day he was supposed to marry the love of his life. 

Tony glanced up at the dark sky as he finally let his tears roll down his face. It was somehow fitting, to him, that their journey started and began with the sky thundering and pelting everything beneath it. 

He remembered the way her eyes shone and her laugh echoed, cheering up anyone in its path. He remembered the way her lips tasted, like strawberries and coconut. He remembered the way she fit perfectly in his arms, warm and small and everything he'd ever needed. 

He remembered _her._

Alina was his life, and Tony didn't know how to live without her. "See you there, baby." He whispered, and then he stood. 

With one final glance, he turned and walked away, leaving behind his heart, never to feel whole again.


End file.
